Improvement in ballot-boxes



"UNITED STATES PATENT OEEroE.

ELHANAN OMENSETTER AND JOHN F. PARKER, Oli PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALLOT-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,148, dated August 18, i874 application iiled q February 25, 1874.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that we, ELHANAN OMENSET- TER and JOHN F. PARKER, of the city and county of Philadelphia,V Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ballot-Boxes, which we denominate the N ational Safety-Box; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-l tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Y Figure 1 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the safety-box and its internal mechanism. l

A This invention relates to an improvement in that class of boxes known as safety-boxes, and designed for use in the transmission of ballots and election returns from the precincts` where the elections are held to the place whence the oiicial returns are promulgatedalso, in the transmission of valuable papers or money from point to point; and it consists of a box having a removable true bottom, to which a removable false bottom is secured b y a sealed screw; a sliding lid, havingxan annular metal box, provided with au internal annular flangeatits top, and two internal ringsone of rubber, the other of metal-by which a crystal, provided with a seal, is secured within the metal box, the latter being secured to the under surface of the sliding lid,so as to project through a circular opening in the center of the same, and receive a cap for protecting the crystal; and a spring-lock, consisting of two springs, one of which is provided with three vertical studs, and the other with one, sealed to a metal bar fixed within the box, and so located that the vertical studs may enter corresponding slots in a keeper-plate cov-1 ered by a seal upon its upper face, andsecured to the under surface ofthe annular metal box` by sealed screws, the several parts being arranged in such a manner that when the sliding lid is partially closed, the single vertical stud will enter the slot provided for it in the keeperplate, and prevent the lid from being again drawn back unless the crystal and seals within the annular box be broken to permit the stud to be forced from its slot in the keeperplate 5 also, when the lid is wholly closed, that the three vertical studs will enter their slots in the keeper-plate, and will not permit the box to be opened unless the crystal and seals within the annular box have been broken to permit the three vertical studs to be forced from their slots in the keeper-plate for the purpose of" withdrawing the lid, which, by reason of the annular box in its center, can never be more than half withdrawn unless the box be broken. The object of the invention is to produce a box which, having been put together, properly sealed, and partially closed, is ready to receive its contents, and which, after having been either partially or wholly closed, cannot be reopened without breaking the crystal and seals within the annular metal box, and thereby leaving evidence that the box or its contents have been tampered with, for the reason that the crystal and slealsin the annular box cannot be replaced except by removing and renewing the remaining seals in the box, which are each of a di'erent design. Thek difficulty, therefore,` of removing traces of a fraudulent use of the box is simply insurmountable, all of which will hereinafter more fully appear.` A

In the accompanying drawing, the boxA has a true bottom, B, secured thereto by dowelpins C1 on the upper surface, and metallic buttons C C2 on the upper inner surface of said bottom B. The buttons C G2 are arranged to enter recesses D in the sides and ends of the box A for the purpose of securing the bottom thereto. Access can only be had tothe buttons C CZ when the bottom B is on, throughl the top of the box A. The false bottom E has recesses F made in its lower side, which receive the buttons C G2 when the bottom E is in place. Dowel'pins G at one end connect the bottom E to that end of the box. A screw, H, over which a seal, I, is placed, so that the screw H cannot be removed without breaking the seal I, secures the bottom E to the bottom B. The annular metal box J, secured to the under surface of the sliding lid K, projects upwardly through the circular opening L in the lid K. The annular metal box J is provided with an internal annular ilange, M, at its top, and an external flange atits bottom, by which it is secured' to the lid K. A crystal, N, to the under surface of which a seal, Y, is

the three vertical studs d.

the buttons C through top of the box.

the buttons C have been turned so as to enter glued or otherwise affixed, is held within the metal box J and against the annular flange M by a rubber ring, 0,' resting upon a metal ring, l), provided with fixed pins Q, supported by the slotted keeper-plate R, which is provided with a seal, S, covering the slots T Aand and U, and secured to the bottom of the annular box J by screws V protected by seals W X. A. shorter lateral-spring, a, provided with a vertical stud, b, is secured upon one arm of a longer bifurcated lateral spring, c, provided with three vertical studs, d, and both of the springs a and c are secured, by screws f, protected by seals g h, to a metal bar, t', fixed within the box A, so as to traverse the saine transversely quite near 011e end. A thumb-screw,-j, secured to one end of the box A enters a recess, 7c, lined with metal, and made in the lower surface of the sliding lid K near its end. A cap, l, is used to cover the annular metal box J for the purpose-of protecting the crystal N.

The operation of putting the box together' for use is as follows: L The sliding lid K is entered into the grooves in the sides of the box near its upper edge, the box inverted, and the annular metal box J inserted into the cir. cular openin g L, and secured to the under side of the lid K by screws not protected by seals,`

as it is unnecessary to remove these screws to repair the box. the seal Y, is then inserted into the annular box J ,whereit rests upon theinternal annular ilangel M. Upon the crystal N and seal Y is laid the rubber ring O, and upon it the metal ring l), provided with the pins Q. The keeper-plate R, provided with the slots T and U, and covered with a seal, S, which closes said slots T and U, is suiciently thick to prevent the ver` tical studs b from pressingagainst and breaking the seal S when they enter the slots. The said keeper-plate R is next secured to the bottom of the annular box J by screws V, whichl Vare protected by seals W and X. The shorter Vlateral spring a, provided with the vertical stud b, is permanently fixed upon one arm of the longer bifurcated lateral spring c, having The spring c is next secured to the under side of the metal Abar i, iixed within the box A, and traversing it laterally near one end, by screws f, protected by seals g and h. The box A should be now reverted. The button C2, which is securely fastened to prevent it from turning, is first entered into its recess D. The doWel-pins C1 will then enter the recesses prepared for them in them in the lower edges of the sides of the box, and will prevent lateral motion of the bottom B. Access can now be only had to When the recesses D the bottom B will be securely fastened to thebox A. The false bottomE, provided with the recesses F and dowel-pins G, has its lower edges at its ends so shaved or rounded off as to be readily entered into` -the box A by first inserting the end provided The crystal N, provided with with the dowel-pins G, and pushing. it until it drops upon the true bottom B. The screwfH should be then driven to place, and covered by the seal I. The box'being now put together, the sliding lid K should be pushed inwardly until the vertical stud b en ters the slot T in the keeper-plate R. It may be readily ascertained when this has been laccomplished by pulling backwardly upon the lid K. If the stud bis in place, the lid cannot be drawn back. The thumb screw j should be now driven into the recess lc in the under surface of the lid for the purposes of holding the lid stationary, and preventing it from bein g closed and locked while being transmitted to the place at which it is to receive its contents. While in this condition,- the box is ready to receive its contents 5 or, if to be used at the polls, to receive the ballots and election returns for transmission to headquarters.

It will be readily seen that it is intended that the box should be prepared for receiving its contents, and sent to the parties who have charge of the articles to be transmitted, the only instructions necessary to the consignor being to place the contents in the box, turn the thumb-screw j to permit the lid to be closed, close the lid, and transmit the box to the consignee. The seals which protect the screws by which the mechanism is held together should eachbe of a different design, and of such a character that they cannot be removed without destroying them. The seals are seven in number, and the knowledge of their nature and design being only in possession of the person or persons who put the box together, or who witnessed the operation of putting it together, it will be readily seen that the box cannot be tampered with without leaving conclusive evidence of that fact, and the extent to which it has been carried, for the reason that the box cannot be unlocked except by breaking the crystal N, destroying the seal Y and the seal S, which cover the keeperplate It, and forcing the studs b and d from their places in the slots T and U.

By forcing the studs d from place, the lid K can be only partially opened, as the stud b only occupies the slotT when the lid is partially open.

By forcing the stud b from the keeper-plate, the lid K can be drawn open so far as the metal box J will permit it, and, when in this position, the seal I is exposed for removal for the purpose of taking the box to pieces for renewing the crystal N and the various seals.

If the seals be of an elaborate design, or of such a character as to be difficult to obtain, it will be seen that evidence of a fraudulent use of the box cannot be concealed.

Having thus described our improvements, what we claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The box A, having a sliding lid, K, and an internal spring-lock, R a b c d, to which access can only be had for unlocking the box by breaking a crystal, N, and seals Y S,within an annular box, J, placed centrally in the sliding lid K, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

V2. The bottom B, provided with the buttons C C2 and dowel-pins G1, in combination with the box A, having the recesses D, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The bottom E, provided with the'recesses F and dowel-pins G, secured within thebox A and to the bottom B by the screw H, protected by the seal I, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. 4. The annular box J, secured to the under surface of the sliding lid K, and projecting through the circular opening L, as and for the Purpose Set fOIh.

5. The combinationof the crystal N, provided with thevseal Y, and the annular box J, provided with the internal flange M, with the internal rings O and P Q, and the slotted keeper -plate R T U, covered by the lseal S, and secured to the lower surface of the box J by screws V V, protected by the seals WX, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

6. The spring a, provided withthe stud b, and the spring c, provided with the studs d,

secured by screws f, protected by seals g h,`tol

ELHANAN oMENsETTEE. JNo. E. PARKER.

Witnesses:

EnwN F. GLENN, J oHN LEWIS.

[L. s] [L. s] 

